Letter-box



(No Model.) 2 S11eets-Sheet 1.

R. W. KELLY. LETTER BOX.

l N0. 597,420. Patented Jan. M1898.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. W. KELLY. 1

LETTER BOX.

No. 597,420. Patented Jan. 18,1898.

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www0/00% UNITED STATES PATENT ROBERT W'. KELLY, OF ATCHISON, KANSAS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,420, dated January 18, 1898.

Application iilcd T une 2, 1897. Serial No639,157. (No modela) To all wwm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT IV. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing atAtchison, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such y simple and practical means for opening the lid by foot-power; and it consists in the construction hereinafterV described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an eleva-tion of my improved letter-box, showing the door of the box open and the inner movable box drawn out to permit the mail to be collected therefrom. Fig. 2 is .a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a mail-box for newspapers or packages, showing the parts in the position they occupy when the lid is opened by footpower. Fig. t is a detail front View of the lid and its attached pendant with the lid in section. Fig. 5 is an end view of said lid and pendant. Fig. G is a detail sectional View of the hood alone.

Like numerals ind icate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates the letter or parcel box, having a hinged door 2 and suitable means for locking the door, and a hood 3. The hood projects upward from the open top of the box and isr formed in its top with a longitudinal slot/i, through which the mail is deposited. This slot is covered by a lid 5, which is connected with a pendant 6, pivoted at '7 to the hood, and is made to swing in either direction. `The pendant is preferably hollow and is constructed in the form of acone, as shown .The lugs l0 extend thro ugh semicircular openings l1, formed at the upper end of the side walls l2 of the hood, and the screw-plates on the ends of the lugs secured to the walls 9 of the lid by means of screws. It will be observed that said openings l1 are covered by the end walls 9 of the lid, which are located at a slight distance therefrom; but in order to afford additional protection against the admission of rain and snow into the box and also to decrease the possibility of ahstraetin g letters from the box through these openings the upper ends of the walls of the hood are preferably formed or provided with L-shaped flanges 13, which project over the openings 11. This construction necessitates the angular conformation of the lugs 10 above referred to. The lid 5 is preferably formed with handles for convenience in moving it by hand.

From the above description it will be seen that thelid 5 may be moved by hand in eit-her 4direction to uncover the slot a in the top of the hood for the purpose of depositing mail through the slot from either the front or rear side of the box. This is an important advantage of my invention, resulting, in many instances, in the saving of time. 1When the lid is released after the mail has been deposited through the slot 4f, the lower end of the pendant 6 being heavier, on account of its shape, causes it to automatically assume an upright position, thereby carrying the lid to its normal position over the slot 4. In making the depending part of the pendant coneshaped the side walls are perfectly plane throughout, whereby liability of letters failing to drop from the hood into the lower part of the box when the lid is released is over- IOD ter. This box is drawn out by the collector of the mail to give access to the mail therein and provides a most simple means from which the mail may be most conveniently and safely collected. The interior of the outer box 1 is provided with lugs or pins 16 to engage the inner wall of the inner box 15 and thereby limit its outward movement; but, if desired, the inner box may be removed from the outer box 1 and the mail-matter carried therein and dumped into a receptacle outside provided therefor. The inner box 15 is provided with depressions 17 or othersuitable means to serve as handles for moving the box.

My invention also provides improved means whereby the lid 5 ma;T be opened by the foot in order that persons having only one hand or having both hands occu pied may conveniently deposit 'mail in the box.

For this purpose the end of the pendant G is provided with a lng 20, which projects to one side of its center and is engaged by the upper end of a longitudinally-movable rod 21, which passes through a guide-sleeve 22, attached to the h ood 3. There is projecting into the lower end of box 1 a longitudinally-inovable rod 23, the upper end of which is connected with said rod 21 in such manner that they will be elevated simultaneously, and the lower end of which is provided with one or more foottreadles 24, fulcrumed between it or their ends and pivoted to the lower end of said rod 23. When the inner box 15 is employed, its upper end will engage thebent lower end of said rod 21 and its lower end will engage a head 25 on the up per end of said rod 23, whereby the lifting of the rod 23 by pressure applied to the outer end of either of the treadles 24 will raise said box 15 and cause the latter similarly to elevate said rod` 21,

thereby causingpressure to be applied to said.

lug 20, which pressure turns the pendant 6 and cover 5 and thereby causes the opening 4 to be uncovered. When pressure is removed from the treadle, all the parts are returned by gravity to their normal positions.

In a letter-box the box 1 is supported upon a hollow post 30, into which said rod 24 projects, and said post is form ed with transverse openings 3l, through which the treadles extend and the walls of which openings form a fulcrum for said treadles. The post 30 has a transversely-extending pin 32, which projects through an elongated slot 33, formed near the lower end of said rod 23, and cooperates with thewalls of said slot to guide said rod in its movements.

When the invention is embodied in a box for parcels or newspapers, the post 30 is dispensed with and the receptacle or box is supported at a short distance above the ground upon legs 35. The longitudinally-movable rod 23 in this case is shortened and the treadles 24 are fulcrumed between their ends upon loops 38, depending from said lower end of the box.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mail-box, the combination of the box having a hood formed with an opening through which mail is deposited, an outside lid covering said opening, a pivoted conical pendant within and attached to said hood, said parts being constructed so that the lid may be turned in either direction to permit mail to be inserted through the opening from either side of thebox, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a mail-box, the combination of the box havinga hoodl formed with an opening through which mail is deposited, a lid covering said opening, a conical pendant attached to said lid and located within the hood, said pendant being pivoted at its ends and having plane side walls and being free to turn in either direction within said hood, whereby mail may be inserted in said opening from either side of the box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In aman-box, the combination of the vbox having a hood formedwith an opening through which mail is deposited, the lid, the pivoted pendant with the lid, angular lugs integral with the pendant connecting the pendant with the lid and suitable openings through which said lugs are adapted to pass, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a mail-box, the combination of the box having a hood formed with an opening through which mail is deposited, the hood having a curved opening in the upper ends of its end walls, and flanges covering said curved openings, a lid having flanges at its ends to cover said openings, a pivoted pendant movable in either direction within said hood, and angular lugs extending through said curved openings andserving to attach said pendant to the end walls of said lid, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a mailbox the combination of the box having a hood formed with an opening through which mail is deposited, and with` curved openings in its end walls, said hood having flanges arranged over said curved openings at a slight distance therefrom, a lid having end wallsy arranged to cover said curved'openings, a conical pendant within the hood, angular lugs extending through said curved openings and serving to connect the upper end of the pendant with the end walls of the lid, the pendant being movable in either direction within the hood, and stops attached to opposite walls of the hood to limit .the movements of the pendant, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a mail-box, the combination with the box, the lid covering the mail-receiving opening therein, the pivoted pendant attached to said lid, the lug at one side of the center of the-pendant, a longitudinally-movable rod engaging said lug, the treadle, and conne@v ICO IIO

tions between said rod and treadle, substanltially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a mail-box, the combination with the box, the lid having a pivoted pendant, a'lug on said pendant, a longitudinally-movable rod engaging said lug, of a longitudinally- Inovable rod, a fulerumed lever pivoted to the lower end of said rod, and means between said movable rods for causing them to move in unison, substantially as and for Jthe purpose set forth.

8. In a mail-box, the combination with the outer bof: and the pivoted lid, of an inner movable box, means for raising the inner box, and connections between said inner box and lid, whereby said lid will be turned when said box is raised, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In ainail-box, the combination with a;

movable receptacle and the pivotally-supported lid for covering the mail-receiving opening, of means for raising said receptacle, and connections between said receptacle and the lid whereby raising of the receptacle will uncover said mail-receiving opening, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l0. In a mail-box, the combination with the box having a mail-receiving opening, a lid, a pivoted pendant connected with the lid, a lug on said pendant, oi an inner movable boX, a vertically-movable rod engaging the lower end of the movable box, a treadle for operating said box, and a movable rod between the upper` endof said inner box and the lug, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT W. KELLY.

Witnesses:

W. BRADBURN, H. G. I-IOMER. 

